"....I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." ~James 10:10~

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Quick Product Review...

Lip Gloss-

Current FAV is Sally Hansen Natural Butter Lip Shine in Lush. It's got a cardboard like (very GO GREEN) wand top which makes me feel like I'm contributing to the environment while I gloss up! It has a very nice smell and lasts a long time. I love the color...very ah natural but enough color to do the trick. It's worth trying!

Hair Spray-

At my last hair appointment I got "Rockaholic" by TIGI and it's AWESOME! It smells like an expensive perfume so in a hurry it's the only scent you need. And it has a medium hold that brushes out easily, which I like. I have also noticed much less build up so I think it's a keeper too!

Let me know if you have tried any new products and what you thought about them!

Have a WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY!!!

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Christmas 2009!

What a WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS!

Here are some of my favorite things about this Christmas:

1. Having one more family member with us this time and looking forward to next Christmas when we can hold her in our arms!!! (No announcement here...lol!...I'm talking about my little neice!)
2. Playing "3 ROUNDS" at all of our get-to-gethers!
3. Spending time with everyone I love!
4. Getting to spend time with my friend Kathryn who I rarely get to see!
5. Travis surprised me with a CRUISE in February!!! YEA! YEA! YEA!
6. Seeing all my family members happy and having fun!
7. Reading Brian a Christmas book as he fell asleep anticipating Santa's arrival!
8. Eating lots of yummy goodies...this year's favorite was my Mom's fudge and Granny's divinity!
9. Travis cleaned our house on the 23rd...I think that was my FAVORITE gift of all!
10. Celebrating Jesus's birthday!!!

Here are some photos of all our fun!

Christmas at our house on the 23rd....





Christmas Eve at Granny's house!





Christmas Day at My Mom and Dad's in Elberton!









Me and Ali got New Do's yesterday!


Yea for Wonderful Christmas Memories and a Wonderful New Year to come!!!

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Christmas time's a comin'....

EEEKKK (as I shriek with excitement!)....4 DAYS 'TIL CHRISTMAS!!!

Yea!

I'm sitting here at the computer with my hairdryer going strong (I use it for heat when I'm getting ready in the morning and when I'm typing on my blog...would probably be so much easier to just get a space heater but it just wouldn't be the same. I started using my hairdryer when I was little and got in trouble MANY a time for burning up every hairdryer in the house!)and thinking about how much I love my friends!

I've been so blessed to have found several SWEET, FUNNY, CHRIST-LIKE friends....not just those kind of friends who come and go or just like you at the moment because it's convenient for them...but those kind of friends that love you and feel close to you no matter WHERE they are...(clearing my throat for emphasis...like Savannah...SMILE!) or those kind of friends who steal your Christmas ornament only because they know you REALLY want the gingerbread man one (even though you end up with the red boot...which you also, luckily, happen to like!)and I can't thank my friends enough for loving me as I am and accepting me for who I am! My life wouldn't be the same without you gals!

So now that I've given my "Ode to GREAT FRIENDS" let me tell you that we just ran out of toilet paper(seriously) and so that's probably going to be a problem...lol...maybe we can hold out until tomorrow...TMI...yes...but funny too???...maybe!?....

I learned something new today in Sunday School that I probably should've understood a long time ago but just never really thought about it in depth. We were talking about how people in the Old Testament got saved and instantly the "Law" came to mind and I thought it was by making sacrifices and all that jazz. But my preacher explained that people in the Old Testament were saved the exact same way as we are now (through faith in Jesus Christ by his death and resurection (can't figure out how to spell that...hmmm) EXCEPT it was just "salvation on credit" meaning that they were looking TOWARDS the cross and we look BACK at the cross but we are ALL looking to Jesus. I really liked that analogy. I'm also really looking forward to getting more active and as Preacher Tony says, "intentional" about reaching out to the lost and serving others! I really have got to start doing a better job...

All in all...what a BUSY but AWESOME weekend! Friday night we ate out and then went to a prayer gathering for Jake and listened to Trav's brother Patrick give his testimony. God did an awesome job (as if he'd do anything less!) of using Patrick to speak to all of us. Saturday I got to have breakfast with Bubba at the Barrel and then finished up my Christmas shopping (yes, yes, there were SEVERAL things I had forgotten about that had to be done at the last minute...be who DOESN'T that happen to!)and then the highlight of my weekend...my Sunday School Christmas Party! This morning we enjoyed a beautiful Christmas service at church and then had a cookout at the McCallister's...venison burgers anyone? Yum! And I highly suspect that Milo the cat is going to be severely constipated after eating a half a block of chedder cheese! So Sneaky!

To end our weekend we went to the Concord Baptist Church "Carols by Candlelight" with Tim, Vanessa, and Hunter and ate dinner at Wendys. High Rollers Baby...lol! I stocked up on the plastic cutlery and left a very happy lady! I'm so proud to be a part of a family that continuously encourages me by living lives of integrity and faithfulness. I learn so much by being a part of their lives.

Along those lines, here is another Christmas quote...

"Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas."
~Dale Evans Rogers

I pray that God will help me to be more intentional about loving and serving other and I pray that you will be BLESSED in the days to come as we celebrate the birth of our SAVIOR!

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Attack of the Neighborhood Cats!!!

The other night we looked out our back door and look what we found in our carport...

AHHHHH!!! We don't know what to do to get rid of all these felines...lol!....
My uncle said he knew EXACTLY how to get rid of them..."soak a hotdog weinee in some antifreeze and let em' go at it"....NEVER! But if anyone else has any ethical ideas of how to get rid of them....please let me know!
We also celebrated Brian's 8th birthday with a party and movie last weekend and had lots of fun!









YEA...9 DAYS 'TIL CHRISTMAS!!!

Monday, December 7, 2009

I remember why...

....I HATE GOING TO WALMART!

I was a die hard Walmart fan for many years and just recently for no real reason, just haven't been in several months. Mainly because Travis works at the Suntrust Branch in the Bilo at Clemson so whatever I need grocery wise he can pick up and we noticed that shopping with coupons at Publix and Bloom usually saves us money. Any other little things I need I usually get at Target, Big Lots, CVS, Walgreens, ect. because they're easy and convienent and I always get good service.

Well...while Travis was still not feeling well and was napping last night I felt like getting out and looking at some Christmas stuff and trying out a new recipe I found. So, since it was almost 10 pm, I went to Walmart. DUMB DECISION!

I was in line behind one lady with a FULL cart and another lady was behind me to check out. I was wondering why there were only two registers open and the two cashiers weren't playing their Holiday song and flashing their register lights like on the commercial to "make shopping easier"....

I waited patiently while the lady in front of me checked out, which took about 10 minutes, and the line was building up behind me. When it was finally my turn the cashier looked at me and said "I'm closed." I think my mouth fell to the ground. No "I'm so sorry mam" and no taking a mintue to tell me before I stood there and waited...and waited...NOTHING!

So I calmly (pretty much...lol!) moved to another line and learned my lesson...

Try to avoid WALMART!

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Change of Plans...

Well we weren't able to make it back to NP as hoped for today afterall...
Travis was sick all through the night and all day today...poor thing! I think the Clemson game literally made him sick to his stomach! Just kidding-he really was sick- and is actually still in the bed now. I feel terrible for him!

Maybe we will make it next week!

So instead of going to the Christmas parade I stayed home with him because it's no fun to be that sick at home alone... wondered if he might need help with clean up duty...YUCK...that's true love, huh? I just thought he might need me. He has gotten his appetite back now so things are looking up!

Here is another Christmas quote...

"Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist."
~Francis P. Church

Yea...18 days til' Christmas!

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Go Tigers!

The Tigers kick off in about 10 minutes and we are keeping our fingers crossed for a BIG WIN tonight! Just saw Florida get clobbered by Bama...a win I was also hoping for although Tebow is such a nice guy...but hey, everyone has gotta lose sometime...

Quickly...a couple of product reviews!

1. Bath and Body Works antibacterial hand soap in Yuletide Pear Vanilla...GREAT! A perfect soap for the kitchen...smells like fruit and cookies...two of the kitchen's best smells!

2. Bath and Body Works Evergreen concentrated room spray...Use on your artificial Christmas Tree to bring the outdoors right into your living room! One spray on my tree had it smelling great all day long!

3. If you've read my blogs in the past you know I love Maybelline Shiny.licious lipglosses but my last pick- #65- cinnamon apple...didn't stack up to the others I've tried. It was too "goopy" and the color didn't seem to distribute evenly upon application. It is also a little too "reddish" for me...I'm definitely more of a PINK gal! I chose it because it seemed like it would be great for the Holidays since it's reddish and cinnamon scented but trust me on this one and don't waste your money!

The next gloss I wanna try is the Loreal Hip brand with applicators on both sides (can't remember the exact name) but the colors look so modern and neutral that they have definitely caught my eye. I'll give you the scoop once I test it out!

So moving on...Friday night we had a great time eating dinner with Ken and Lynn at Fuji! Came home and watched "The Taking of Pelham 123" which I would highly recommend...very entertaining! Oooh...and another funny one is Four Christmases...and you can get it at Redbox or DVD Express for just a dollar!

Tomorrow we are going back to New Prospect and are SUPER PUMPED about it...are hearts are missing it a lot! So tomorrow should be a special day! I'm really looking forward to getting back to our Sunday School Class! And at three you can catch me and Trav in the Anderson Christmas Parade! I also have a couple of prayer requests. My little brother Brian has a TERRIBLE virus and My Granny, Ruth, is having some more problems with her feet and ankles hurting badly.

Well...the Tigers just scored...YEA!!!!...so i'm gonna go now and cheer them on with the hubby!

I'm gonna leave you with another beautiful quote for the season...

"Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time."
~Laura Ingalls Wilder

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Thursday already?

Wow! This week has gone by really quickly!

And I'm so glad tomorrow is FRIDAY!!! YEA!

My doctor appt. went well yesterday...still the same sinus infection. I gotta start using my flonase everyday and taking my claritin daily and things should start to improve! I also had a mole that I was worried about but the Dr. said it looked perfectly healthy! I'm so thankful for that good news! It just reminded me even more how important it is to take good care of my skin and continue to avoid the dangerous sunshine...well I could never stay away from the sunshine I just gotta keep wearing my sunscreen and super-sized hats!

Travis was able to go with a friend to the Clemson basketball game last night and had a great time...unfortunately the Tigers lost though...boo! Trav is doing really well and is still really enjoying his job at the bank too...I'm so proud of him! He's such a great hubby! He put our Christmas tree up last night too and I've been sitting in the living room admiring it all day! Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree...lol!!

I want to leave you with this beautiful Christmas quote I came across yesterday...

"Christmas waves a magic wand over the world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful."

Aww...this truly is a time to renew our spirits and watch the magic unfold!

Yea for the Beauty of Christmas!

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Sick day...again...

Well...

Surprise, Surprise!

I'm at home sick again today...after a round of antibiotics two weeks ago for a sinus infection... I'm now at home sniffling and sneezing with a terrible cold!

Why do all these nasty little germs keep finding me???!

But I'm very blessed and not complaining because I know I'll be feeling much better as soon as I get some more rest...that always seems to do the trick!

And didn't quite meet my goal of having all my Christmas decorations TOTALLY finished but I did manage to get about 90% done just didn't feel like doing the 10% I had left to do last night.

But I'm still proud! lol!

And Travis is going to put the tree up for us tonight!

Have a WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY!

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Shop til' you drop!

Yep...we were some of those crazy people out at 4 am!

Me, Molly (five months pregnant...what a TROOPER!), Nikki, Mom, and Fran shopped til' we dropped, until 3 pm to be exact! Boy was I pooped but I met my goal and got 95% of my Christmas shopping done...AND WRAPPED!...and about 50% of my Christmas decorations out and up. So...if I can get the rest of all my decorations up by midnight I will have met my goal of having almost everything DONE by Dec. 1st...which is today! lol! I must say I'm proud...Yea me! Ha! Ha!

I can't even begin to tell you how much fun I have when all of us get together...we laughed so hard my abs hurt the next day...that's the stuff memories are made of! I'm so blessed to have the best Mom, Aunts, and Sisters in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD...and I mean that with all my heart! One of life's most greatest blessings...that's for sure!

And another thing that's for sure...It's beginning to look a lot like CHRISTMAS!!! YEA!

I actually even got my Christmas cards written and addressed yesterday too...It feels good to be productive! For those who know me I am a constant procrastinator and I'm always late...(aka..the Lay-dah Rada's!)so I am basking in the Glory of my new found accomplishment...actually doing something ahead of time and I tell you...It's a GREAT FEELING!

Another highlight of my Thanksgiving break was getting to see my friend Kathryn, who I haven't seen in quiet awhile and she's so sweet!!! We ended up talking for about four hours and I think we could've talked 4 more! Please say a special pray for her and her husband Stan who is deployed to Iraq right now...every pray helps!

Sunday was also wonderful...Me, Trav, Vanessa, Tim, Patrick, and Ken all were at Church together and it felt great all sitting together as a big family! Trav got to spend lots of time with his Dad and brother and had a great time with them. We are looking forward to spending more time with everyone over the Holidays!

Well...Just a little update for now! Hope everyone has a WONDERFUL day filled with many blessings!'

Yea for PLANNING AHEAD...who knew it worked so well!